1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to integrated development environments. More particularly, the present invention relates to managing projects in integrated development environments.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an Integrated Development Environment (IDE), computer developers or programmers use a program editor to write computer programs and develop software applications in the form of source code. The source code is conventionally written in a high-level programming language, e.g., C++, Java, Pascal, and the like. To run such computer programs in a computer system, a compiler program must convert the source code into executable code or object code.
Most projects in the IDE could be viewed as broken down into tasks, such as, debugging, documentation or testing. Each task is typically assigned to a developer to complete the task. As with other working environments, a project manager is typically assigned to oversee the completion of the entire project. His responsibility includes, among other things, identifying which tasks are critical (i.e., in a critical path or behind schedule), which developers are assigned to which tasks, and how much time has been invested in each task.
Often times, the project manager uses tools, such as a project management tool, to assist the project manager in managing his project. A project management tool is a software application that assists the project manager to manage his projects. More specifically, the tool allows the project manager to keep track of the tasks within a project. Current project management tools, however, require the project manager to manually input the data relating to the tasks. Manually inputting these data from day to day can often be a cumbersome task.
A need therefore exists for an improved method and apparatus for managing projects in integrated development environments.